Write Outside: Annotated Bibliography Example

Russian Comfrey by Suzanne Schroeter
Included under Creative Commons License

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources a writer or research group might potentially wish to use for a research paper or project. An annotated bibliography is more than just a list, however. It includes annotations, or notes, that help the writers capture the qualities and main ideas of a source. The annotated bibliography can be used by writers during the outlining and drafting parts of the writing process as a bank of information from which source content can be pulled.

For writers who've never written an annotated bibliography, the task can seem herculean. Breaking the annotated bibliography entries into their component parts can make it much more achievable. 

Breaking the annotated bibliography into smaller tasks can help beginners learn to cite sources, identify claims and evidence, evaluate the content's rhetorical appeals, and plan their next steps.

Annotated Bibliography Example

The following table in an example entry that's been broken into its component parts on a table. For this example, the research question is "What are the practical and safe medicinal uses of the comfrey I grow in my backyard?" This example table includes the prompts necessary to properly evaluate and annotate an article called "Three Travelers," written by Katherine Yvinskas and published in The Herbarist in 2010. 

Prompt	Responses
Where did you find your source and why did you choose it? Provide the complete MLA citation for the source.	I found my first source in the GGC Library databases. I searched for the term “comfrey” in the database called Academic Search Complete (and updated my citation to include the name of the database instead of the name of the service, Ebscohost). This source was on the third page of results, and I chose it because I am interested in the medicinal properties of comfrey and this was published in a journal called Herbalist. Yvinskas, Katherine. “Three Travelers.” Herbalist, no. 76, Nov. 2010, pp. 16–20. Academic Search Complete, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=a9h&AN=79329981&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=gwin
Research and explain each author’s credentials and authority. If there is no author, provide information about the organization or publisher. Think about how the author’s credentials affect the intended audience’s acceptance of the information.	There is a short bio in the article that explains the author’s credentials. Although her main vocation is as an artist, it seems she is also a self-taught herbalist. This might be a concern, but she has also been acknowledged as a Master Gardener. “Katherine Yvinskas is a member at large of The Herb Society of America. She is an artist, Master Gardener and herbalist living in New Jersey. She has created many original works inspired by plants and nature. Katherine received her MFA in 1981 from Northern Illinois University and is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Her work has been widely exhibited and published” (20).
Quote or paraphrase the main idea (thesis, enthymeme, or hypothesis and findings).   If there is an abstract, you may also wish to quote it here.	Thesis: "I’ve called them ‘The Three Travelers’ in honor of their centuries-old reputation as journeymen having healing abilities that affect the lungs, bones, ears, digestive system, and support wound healing. Imagine seeing comfrey, mullein and coltsfoot standing together, taking on various ailments that come their way. A mighty trio! And they can grow in your own garden, as they do in my home herbal apothecary" (18). Abstract: “The article offers information on coltsfoot, comfrey and mullein, which are called the three travelers due to their ability to treat diseases. Coltsfoot is a spring bloomer and is dubbed Filius ante patrem. It treats coughs, asthma and bronchitis. Comfrey is high in calcium, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals and its leaves are rich in vitamins A and C. Mullein can grow anywhere, was used as toilet paper in the wild, or placed in the holes of shoes or if the feet were tired from walking.”
Summarize or quote each section’s or paragraph’s main idea sentence or main idea (if it’s implied). Be sure to point out where the most relevant information appears.	Each section describes the three plants and explains their herbal uses. Most relevantly, the article answers my research question on page 19 by saying that comfrey is best used as a healing cream and as a poultice. It is used externally.
Identify the main types of evidence the author(s) used. Use the list that’s been provided for you. Types of evidence may vary by paragraph or section. Please see “types of evidence” at the end of this document. Think about how the types of evidence affect the intended audience's acceptance of the information.	The author uses visual descriptions and verifiable, cited facts throughout the article, including in the section on comfrey. The references and bibliography for the cited information will be very helpful for continuing my research.
Explain how the source does or does not demonstrate each of the three main rhetorical appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos. What will you do to overcome any weaknesses presented in the source’s rhetorical appeals? Think about how the use of rhetorical appeals can affect the intended audience's acceptance of the information.	Ethos: The lead-in to the article is the author’s narrative about having the plants in her garden, which, by virtue of her experience, establishes a level of ethos. Because of the discrepancy between the author being an artist and being a self-taught herbalist, however, I want to find additional information to confirm and validate the information in her article, especially the idea of the herbs being called “three travelers.” Does this originate with her? Logos: Although the information is in a coherent order (categorical order in an expository essay format), and is presented with a bibliography, none of the information is timely, so there may be new information available. I will need to look for more up-to-date information. Pathos: The author has done a good job introducing the article with a narrative that includes positive connotations of the plants without exceeding the limits of a proper use of pathos.
Define unfamiliar words or phrases (up to 10). Include the original sentence from the source that contains the word or phrase. Be sure to attribute the source of the additional information in case you want to use it in your research project. These words may help you learn more about your topic.	Pyrrolizidine alkaloids : “Early leaves or cuttings harvested in the spring will contain high levels of dangerous pyrrolizidine alkaloids whereas the later cuttings and mature leaves have much smaller amounts” (18). I found more about this phrase in a source called Safety Issues Affecting Foods: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon (http://www.itmonline.org/arts/pas.htm): “Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are of special interest currently because several of them have been shown to cause toxic reactions in humans, primarily veno-occlusive liver disease, when ingested with foods or herbal medicines. Comfrey, a well-known medicinal herb characterized by U.S. FDA researchers as having been ‘one of the most popular herb teas in the world,’ contains PAs that are capable of causing liver damage (10).”

Glossary of Key Words and Phrases

Annotate: Take notes on a text to help establish meaning and context. Annotations should be substantive enough to use as notes for a paper without having to look back at the original.

APA Format: The American Psychological Association’s guidelines for how to format a paper and its source content; emphasizes the author and publication date of a work with content page numbers if available. Generally used when the publication date is important in establishing ethos or logos, as in papers about medical advances or new technology.

Attribution: Giving credit to the original source of the information within the context of the sentence; usually requires transitions like “according to” or “Source states.”

Credentials: Qualifications, achievements, qualities, or aspects of a background, typically used to indicate suitability.

Enthymeme: Argumentative thesis statements work best with the idea of enthymeme. An enthymeme is a relationship between reason and conclusion. In thesis statements, this takes the form of making a clear connection between an assertion (claim, opinion) and the reasons used to support that assertion. “Recycling should be required nationwide because . . . .”

Hypothesis: In science, a hypothesis is an idea or explanation that is tested through study and experimentation. Outside science, a theory or guess can also be called a hypothesis. A hypothesis is something more than a wild guess but less than a well-established theory. “Planting carrot seeds in the fall may lead to greater yields the following summer.” Findings are generally found at the end of a paper that begins with a hypothesis.

MLA Format: Modern Language Association’s guidelines for how to format a paper and its source content; emphasizes the author and title of a work with content page numbers, if available. Generally used when the publication date is not important in establishing ethos or logos, as in papers about Hamlet.

Modes of Persuasion: Ethos, or ethical appeal, means to convince an audience of the author's credibility or character or by use of expert testimony. Pathos, or emotional appeal, means to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions, usually using sensory description or narration. Logos, or the appeal to logic, means to convince an audience by use of logic or reason, verifiable facts, statistics, real examples, and descriptions or personal observations.

Paraphrase: A paraphrase is about the same length as a quotation, usually one or two sentence (in a short essay). The words are changed to fit stylistically into a paper, with any original words or phrases placed in quotation marks.

Quotation: The exact words used by another writer. Use the exact words only when no other word will express the same idea. Always enclose quotation in quotation marks except in the case of a block quotation.

RRAT: We have to ask ourselves if sources include reliable, relevant information, if the author, publisher, or editor is authoritative and credentialed. We also ask, “Is it timely?” It is timely if the content uses information with an appropriate publication date.

Summary: To summarize is to take a longer piece of writing and condense it into its main ideas. You summarize an article by restating its thesis and topic sentences or its findings. Although a summary can be followed by an evaluation, a summary is not the same as an evaluation. An evaluation rates an article’s worth, and a summary just explains its main ideas.

Thesis: A thesis statement is a sentence that states the topic and purpose of a paper. A good thesis statement will direct the structure of an essay and will allow your reader to understand the ideas you will discuss within your paper. “Students should take Composition courses their freshman year.”

Types of Evidence: Evidence includes 1. real and 2. hypothetical examples, 3. verifiable facts and 4. statistics, 5. testimony from experts and 6. laypersons, 7. logic and reason, 8. chronological narratives, 9. sensory descriptions, and 10. personal observations. 

Want to learn more about research and writing?

Annotated Bibliography Assignment for Students

Evaluating Source Content

Write Outside: Outdoor Activities and Writing Prompts for English Composition

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Write Outside: Knowing Fauna Activity and Writing Prompt

I looked into my garden. I knelt between the plants. I held my cupped hand to my eye to focus my gaze on its smallest details. I saw snails, grasshoppers, ladybugs, caterpillars, and bees. I watched them eat and rest, acknowledge one another, and go about their business. 

In Write Outside: Outdoor Activities and Writing Prompts for English Composition, I begin the section on rhetorical appeals with a chapter explaining the importance of a writer's intended audience. The outdoor activity for the chapter is to collect notes, renderings, or images of fauna. The subsequent writing prompt asks students to explain the symbolic characteristics for one or more of the fauna, and to remain focused on the needs of one specific person throughout the paragraph or essay that emerges. 

Depending on the needs of the specific reader a writer has in mind, this may emerge as a narrative, a concrete description, an expository explanation, or even an argumentative piece of writing. The following are drafts of paragraphs in each of the four modes. Main idea sentences have been underlined.

Sample Narrative Paragraph with Statement of Realization

    I had moved over fifteen times in ten years, and this was the sixteenth move, from Ohio to Georgia after graduate school. It wasn't the first time my car had died during a move, though. The first time my car had died during a move was three years earlier, as I was leaving Mt. Pleasant, Michigan after finishing my undergraduate degree. I'd come a long way during that time. My belongings were now packed in suitcases instead of trash bags, and I'd racked up another degree. My car was a few years newer, and I'd made a few more life-long friends. Yet there I sat, and as I sat at the intersection of I-285 and Roswell Road in Atlanta, Georgia, in a broken-down car full of all my possessions, I couldn't help but feel a bit like a snail with its home slung across its back. If only I'd known how wise a totem the snail would turn out to be for me, I would have embraced it and allowed myself to absorb and appreciate how life was right then instead of restlessly pushing for life to "go, go, go," always forward in a ceaseless state of change. 

Sample Descriptive Paragraph with Dominant Impression

    We walked together along the cobblestone streets of Athens, Ohio. I wore jeans and a military jacket, so I blended into the grey of the sidewalk and sky. I could smell the impending snow. Clouds of breath that emerged from our faces and hung over our heads. It was cold, and there may have been snow, but the salt and traffic turned all of it to dirty slush. You, however, wore a red dress, refusing to be daunted by the cold, the dreary, the depressing mess of winter. It wrapped around your legs in the wind. Instead of huddling inside your black wrap, you let it fly behind you like a cape. You were the ladybug, the ladybird beetle, the coccinella novemnotata, destroyer of the smaller, parasitic insects, the aphids who were sucking all the sweetness from the bars we visited that night. It wasn’t the only time, though, that you took on the persona of that deceptively beautiful warrior. Time and again you donned your red dress, accessorized with black boots and a black rose for your hair, and time and again you protected all of us from the hoards at the bar, like we were your garden and it was your job. The memory of you, Donatella, in your red dress, will always remind me of the ladybird beetle.

Sample Expository Paragraph with Concluding Topic Sentence

    The AMC Hornet was produced between 1970 and 1977. The cars themselves had nothing in common with the insects. They certainly didn't look like hornets. The association was purely symbolic. According to the Spirit Animal Totems web site,  wasps symbolize making a plan and following through on that plan passionately, without the fear of change. The wasp is a reminder to express thoughts freely and for people to "do their own thing." Wendy Jackson relates much the same on a web page called "Wasp Spirit Animal: Meaning, Symbolism, Dream of the Wasp Totem." She adds, however, that a "Wasp, at times, works as a group and, in some instances, work as one," which means they represent both teamwork and independence. If ever there was a totem animal that symbolized the road trip with friends, the hornet or wasp may be it. For people ready for a change of scenery, ready to hop in a car and follow through on a plan to hit the open road with a group of independent, adventurous friends, a car called a Hornet might just be the most sensible choice.

Sample Argumentative Paragraph with Topic Sentence

Aesop got it wrong. In the story of the ant and the grasshopper, one of Aesop's fables, the grasshopper is depicted as lazier than the ant, and deserving of his impending starvation when the enterprising ant refuses to feed the grasshopper. What Aesop's fable fails to recognize, however, is that the grasshopper represents something sometimes far more important than being enterprising: appreciating the life that surrounds us. "Stop and smell the roses," goes the old adage. "Appreciate the moment," people are told again and again: "Live in the present." Instead of socking away seeds all summer and fall, Grasshopper socked away memories, sensory descriptions, and the soulful energy of a thousand observations. For this the grasshopper should not be punished. He was doing what grasshoppers do. Artists, writers, and scientists alike must observe the life around them in order to do the work important to them, to live up to their potential. Imagine a world where artists, writers, and scientists lack the time to observe. Aesop got it wrong.

Works Cited

Raven, Silken. "Wasp." Spirit Animal Totems,  https://www.spirit-animals.com/wasp-symbolism/, Accessed March 2, 2021.

Jackson, Wendy. "Wasp Spirit Animal: Meaning, Symbolism, Dream of the Wasp Totem,"  https://www.zodiacsigns-horoscope.com/spirit-animals/wasp-spirit-animal-totem/, Accessed March 2, 2021.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Descriptive Essay: Jekyll Island's Driftwood Beach in November

Wanting to avoid crowds, we planned our vacation to Jekyll Island in the first and second weeks in November, and we rented a small condo within walking distance of Driftwood Beach. We'd chosen Jekyll Island for our vacation because of its plethora of historical landmarks, not realizing that the quality of endurance is also a prominent natural phenomenon on Jekyll Island. 

Driftwood Beach faces the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern shore of Jekyll Island, Georgia. Although the trees on Driftwood Beach look like driftwood, according to the Golden Isles Convention and Visitor's Bureau Web site, the name is actually a misnomer: The beach is named for the remnants of decaying trees that were once part of the island's maritime forest ("Driftwood Beach"). That forest, and its trees, have gradually succumbed to erosion and the effects of the Atlantic's salt water. What remains are the stripped skeletons of trees, bent and twisted, reaching through the sand and sea toward the sky.  The trees that were once a living part of an oceanside forest continue to appear, adding to the energy of mysterious endurance that such a place exudes.   

Our first walk to Driftwood Beach was serene, and its most noticeable feature was, of course, the trees for which it's named. We were completely alone on the beach but for the trees, and we made a temporary sacred space for ourselves against the sandy base of a large, bare tree. Instead of fighting with the sensory overload of everyday life, we were able to focus on the moment, point out large waves or diving pelicans, watch the shrimp boats, and enjoy the sound of the wind through the grass and the feeling of sun on our faces. We felt small, like part of the beach, part of the make-up of the place. We were able to experience an idyllic moment resting against a tree that embodied the mystery of its own continued existence.

Our second walk to Driftwood Beach followed a violent thunderstorm that only those who've experienced the difference between an inland storm and an island storm can appreciate. That storm also held mystery, but it was a mysterious violence, powerful beyond imagining, and it was awe-inspiring: Floors vibrated, windows whistled and rattled, the roof shook, and rain blew in every direction. That storm also made us feel small, but instead of feeling like part of the beach, we felt isolated, cowering in our bed, in our blankets. 

Post storm, the beach was littered with horseshoe crabs and seaweed, fishing nets and plastics. The waves were larger and louder, the birds were fewer, the grass was flattened, the sun was behind the clouds, yet the trees were still holding where they had been before the storm. Some were buried deeper in the sand, others were more exposed, but all of them were where they had been the day before. Those trees put our cowering into perspective. They demonstrated an unimaginable permanence, a mysterious endurance, an awe-inspiring strength and resilience - even against the ferocity of a fearful storm. The trees were bare, a natural rebellion against the cold wind that followed the storm, while we piled on layers of clothing just to make a short walk. 

Driftwood Beach continues to erode. The weather continues to change, and the sand continues to shift as storms come and go, bringing debris in and out with the waves, erasing marks left in the sand by inconsequential people. The trees, though smaller branches come and go, seem to remain the same. The trees, unlike the people, mysteriously endure just as surely as the other historical landmarks on Jekyll Island. 

Write Outside

Want to read more about writing descriptive essays, including the writing prompt that inspired this post? Read my complete text, Write Outside: Outdoor Activities and Writing Prompts for English Composition (affiliate link).

Works Cited

“Driftwood Beach.” Golden Isles Georgia, Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2021, www.goldenisles.com/things-to-do/beaches/driftwood-beach

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Strategies, Hints, and Tips for Revising and Editing Essays

Revision can seem like a daunting task. After all, how can a student be expected to find, understand, and correct a paper's errors when that student made the errors in the first place? It's understandably frustrating. However, there are some strategies for revision that can help make it a bit more manageable. 

The most important things to remember about revision are that revision is not the same as editing, neither revision nor editing should be a solo activity, and each pass at the paper improves the paper. It may not be "perfect" after revisions have been made, but it will be "better." 

But first things first, it's important to understand what's meant by revision. Revision often includes two different "mini-steps" in the writing process, both revision and editing. Whereas revision implies looking at the structural integrity of an essay, editing implies correcting errors at the sentence-level. 

Revision 

During revision, both self revision and peer revision, students look at the overall structure and content of an essay to make sure it has unity, coherence, and clearly articulated evidence that provides just the right amount of ethos and logos, and sometimes pathos, for the intended audience. There are several strategies for making the revision process effective and efficient.

Revision Hints and Tips for Students

• Read and revise multiple times, focusing on different aspects of the paper each time. 
• Take breaks between different aspects to clear your mind.
• Ask someone to read the paper aloud as you listen and make notes about anything that's unclear to your reader. 
• Discuss the paper with others both before and after peer revision to make sure you've cleared up any inconsistencies and carefully supported all your points.
• Outline your paper once it's finished to check its structure, and rearrange it as necessary.
• Make an appointment with a tutor if you aren't sure how to restructure or format your paper.

Editing

When editing, students look for and correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics. Those errors might be as innocuous as spelling "teh" instead of "the" or forgetting the hyphen in a compound word. On the other hand, these types of errors can be as serious as missing quotation marks to set apart a direct quotation.  That kind of error can result in unintentional plagiarism and a failing grade.

Editing Hints and Tips for Students

• Read and revise multiple times, looking for different types of mistakes each time.
• Reverse-reading, or reading the last sentence to the first, is especially helpful when looking for common errors, including sentence fragments, missing antecedents, or vague language. 
• Use your word processing program's built-in checkers, or apps like Grammarly and Hemmingway Writer, to help you locate potential mistakes. Use your best judgement when implementing suggestions.
• Check each piece of source content and each citation using a publication manual or the OWL Purdue Web site.
• Read aloud to listen for additional errors commonly made, like wordiness, subject-verb agreement errors, and errors with modifiers.
• Make an appointment with a tutor if you aren't sure how to edit your errors.

Revision and Editing Checklists

One way to divide revision and editing into manageable pieces is to use a checklist based on the paper's rhetorical situation and the main qualities of writing: unity, coherence, clarity, content, and formatting.

Purpose

• Is the purpose or mode and strategy of this essay easy to identify just by reading the introduction?
• Does the writer maintain one purpose or mode and strategy for the entire essay?

Focus

• Is this an appropriate narrowed topic for the required mode of this essay?
• Is the essay’s title and subtitle based on the thesis statement’s topic and tone?
• Does the title explain the specific focus of the essay?
• Is the thesis focused on one main idea?
• Can the thesis easily be found in either the introduction or conclusion of the essay?

Intended Audience

• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the intended audience easy to identify just by reading the introduction?
• Does this essay offer the intended reader a chance to think and learn?
• Is the writer’s voice, style, tone, and level of formality effective for the intended audience?

Unity

• Does the attention-getting material in the introduction appropriately lead-into the thesis?
• Does each paragraph have one clear topic sentence?
• Does each topic sentence stem from one main idea expressed in the thesis or essay map?
• Does the evidence in each paragraph directly support that paragraph’s topic sentence?
• Are there any shifts in the language or style that might distract or confuse the intended audience?
• Does the writer inadvertently stray from the thesis or shift their viewpoint at any point in the essay?
• Does the conclusion end the essay in a way that helps the reader remember the thesis statement?

Coherence

• Do the paragraphs in the essay flow smoothly from one to another?
• Are the paragraphs ordered logically and deliberately?
• Do the sentences in each paragraph flow smoothly from one to another?
• Is each new piece of evidence introduced and presented smoothly using transitional words and phrases?
• Has the writer used attribution to introduce the credentials of source content authors?

Clarity

• Has the writer avoided vague and ambiguous language, like “very” or “you?”
• Have you found any extraneous language or wordiness?
• Have you found any sentence fragments or run-on sentences?
• Have you found any subject-verb or pronoun agreement errors?
• Have you found any punctuation or capitalization errors?

Content

• Has the writer demonstrated an appropriate use of ethos?
• Has the writer demonstrated an appropriate use of pathos?
• Has the writer demonstrated an appropriate use of logos?
• Does this essay contain enough evidence to support each topic sentence?
• Has the student used expert or lay testimony and facts or statistics as evidence?
• Has the student used a narrative, description, or personal experience as evidence?
• Has the student provided real and hypothetical examples?
• Most importantly, are all claims supported by reasons and evidence?

Formatting

• Does this essay meet the word count and research requirements of the assignment?
• Is all source content cited both in-text and on the references page in MLA or APA format?
• Are this essay’s title page, running head, body, and citations in MLA or APA format?

 

Again, please remember that revision and editing are not the same processes and should be attempted separately, at different times, so that writers and reviewers can focus on specific error types without feeling overwhelmed. It's also important that students work with one another and with tutors, if necessary, to facilitate both revision and editing. Although many of the steps in the writing process are often an individual writer's responsibility, a paper will be in it's best form after others have helped a writer find and correct errors in unity, coherence, clarity, content, and formatting.

Want to read more about writing essays? Try

An Overview of the Writing Process

Prewriting the Research Essay: Starting with "I Think"

Myths about Writing Essays

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Contact the author for permission to republish.

En Plein Air, Watercolor, and Haiku

En Plein Air Watercolor Image
by Amy Lynn Hess

I have recently taken up watercolor painting, and although I've been painting with acrylics for over 20 years, I have found using watercolor challenging. 

With watercolor, I have to work quickly to capture movement, and the paint itself can sometimes define my lines for me, seemingly of its own will. Hues and values are created by working in layers, some layers and puddles or plops drying more quickly than others. The watercolor paper I have, unlike the stretched canvas I use for acrylic painting, warps into humps and bumps that create even more puddles and plops, and I've had to release my desire to rigidly control the paint. It simply goes where the water goes. 

Over the past few weeks, however, I've started to think about watercolor in a new way. I've started to think of this finicky paint as a tool for creating visual haiku, a way to quickly capture a moment, a bit of life, an observation of what's outside.

 

Although there are times when painting outdoors is simply untenable, there are definite benefits to trying it - benefits both artistic and philosophical, and maybe even literary.

 

En Plein Air, A View of What's Outside

The Wayne Art Center, sponsors of The Plein Air Festival in Wayne Pennsylvania, defines en plein air clearly and concisely: "En plein air is a French expression meaning 'in the open air', and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist's subject in full view." More than simply being outdoors while painting, another key element of plein air is to, to build upon this definition, directly view, observe, and therefore interpret what the artist is gazing upon with one's own eyes. 

Yet, unlike painting a still life, which is often prearranged and static, and unlike painting from another image or photograph, painting en plein air captures the movement of life, its winds and dancing shadows, passing clouds, and changing light. 

Direct Observation

The value in direct observation is related partially to, well, value, in addition to the other characteristics of color and the elements of composition. Instead of working from a photograph, which is already representational and may or may not be a result of an artist's own direct observation, working from life allows for authentic representation of a moment, an articulation of the painter's gaze in the moment. To summarize Ingrid Christensen, a gallery artist and popular workshop instructor, the human eye is simply better than a camera's lens in almost every way. Whereas depth perception, saturation, focus, contrast, and brightness are fixed for the camera, and a two-dimensional representation of one fixed moment is produced by photography, our eyes adapt to the variability of life. Our eyes create a direct link with life, with a fleeting moment. 

In the Open Air

When painting en plein air, or in the open air, the observations painters make are of the outdoor environments in which they find themselves. In a few minimal strokes of paint, in perhaps only a few moments, a painter captures a scene, its season, with as much detail as necessary to help viewers enter that moment with the painter.

In writing haiku, the principles are similar. 

Principles of Haiku

The best explanation of haiku I have been able to find comes from writer Mark Blasini. He breaks down the principles into singularity, accuracy, accessibility, economy, and brevity.  

As Blasini explains these five principles, some of his verbiage seemingly applies to both plein air in general and watercolor painting, specifically: "Focus on a moment that you feel you have to share with another person," he says of the principle of singularity. As for accuracy, make it as "realistic, clear, and depictive as possible," he says. Accessibility refers to building a scene the readers can imagine, and in haiku this includes the principle of kigo, or the illustration of the season. The principles of economy and brevity should also both sound familiar to anyone who practices watercolor painting. Haiku and watercolor both require minimal use of materials, a layering of translucence,  and an ability to work quickly. Whereas Blasini explains that writers "keep the haiku sayable in one breath," watercolor painters keep images workable in one sitting, perhaps workable in one layer of water, maybe even in one unit of wetness.

Puddle and plop though they may, my watercolor challenges (and mistakes) have become something much more meaningful as my paradigm has shifted. Watercolor, especially when en plein air, is visual haiku.

As with haiku, my watercolor paintings can now become a single, observed moment I want to share with others, with an intended audience. They can become a fleeting moment I want to capture with as much detail as possible in order to help that intended audience experience my impressions of that moment. I can stop overworking the paper and overthinking my gaze, and think only of keeping my images to "one breath."

I can also get a little sunshine and fresh air, weather permitting.

Want to read more about haiku? 

On Kaiseki and Haiku 

Want to see my supplies?

The BEST job I ever had was as a bookkeeper and merchandiser in an independently owned art supply store in Athens, Georgia. My favorite task was to put together supply kits for new artists and art classes. That said, I’ve made a list! Interested in seeing my grown-up watercolor shopping list? The blue text is an affiliate link to my Amazon Idea list for watercolor supplies. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Works Cited

Blasini, Mark. “The Five Principles.” The Way of Haiku, 9 Oct. 2013, thewayofhaiku.wordpress.com/the-five-principles/

Christensen, Ingrid. “Why You Should Draw from Real Life, Not a Photograph.” Artsy, 23 July 2019, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-draw-real-life-photograph 

“What Is Plein Air?” Plein Air Festival, Wayne Art Center, www.waynepleinair.org/about/what-is-plein air/

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

The Mid-Pandemic Dramaturgy of Pandemic Performance

This year has ushered in changes to almost every facet of our lives, personal and professional. 

In an effort to protect our communities, we've responsibly distanced ourselves from them. Instead of attending church services in person, we've been watching broadcasts. Instead of attending professional conferences and meetings, we're participating in webinars and virtual meetings. Instead of attending school, we're doing our best to work from home. 

Instead of doing just about anything in person, we've turned to the internet in an effort to stay connected. 

From Stage to Screens

Yet, as difficult as it might be to worship, engage productively in meetings, or teach and remain motivated to learn online, many musicians and other live entertainers have had to reinvent their entire purpose. Gone are the days of playing in crowded, high energy, sometimes raucous venues. Fist-pumping dance clubs are closed up tight. Bars and restaurants have had to eliminate performance spaces to set up tables safe distances from one another. Musicians have turned to playing online, through YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram, and Patreon, to name a few avenues. Some musicians have transitioned well; they are well-practiced and comfortable with mellow intimacy. Others, however, are having a hard time. Instead of playing in noisy, crowded spaces meant for high-octane socialization, many of those who used to play those venues are now being watched in high-definition with surround-sound in peoples' homes, with close-up views and pin-drop audio. 

It's the difference between stage and screen. What looks and sounds good on stage, from 50 to 100 feet away in a room full of laughter, service, and conversation, does not look and sound good on screen - whether that screen is in the palm of an audience member's hand or an 88-inch 8K. What's more, these musicians are having to compete with professionally produced and filmed productions, and they're having to make these adaptations quickly because their livelihoods depend on it. 

What are musicians up against? Patreon advertises they have over 200,000 creators on their site. As of the writing of this post, Socially Distant Fest has 175,400 members. That's just one of the many Facebook groups that's sprung up. There's a lot of chatter. Additionally, many local, early, or mid-career musicians are in direct competition with musicians "of means," with record deals and international renown. Whereas the latter can eek thousands of viewers in seconds and donate any and all donated proceeds to charity, the former are simply trying to pay their bills. They're hanging their comforters on the walls to make backdrops and using what they have at hand to try to appeal to fickle viewers who are likely to scroll on by in mere seconds if they don't stand out immediately. Cute kids seem to do well, as do quirky duos and pretty girls with ukuleles. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it takes courage and dedication to make a musical life pay the bills, and they should be lauded. But what about the 40-something rock-and-roll guy, the subtle singer/songwriter and folk singer, the jam band drummer, and the badass blues harmonica players? 

And Back to the Stage: Theatrical Elements

Aristotle suggested in The Poetics that all theatre performances need six unified elements in order to be successful: plot, character, thought, diction, melody, and spectacle. He was speaking specifically of Greek tragedy, but that's appropriate of pandemic performance, I believe.

How does someone make solo blues harmonica work in Dolby Surround-Sound? Do they ditch the comforter, give themselves and their space a hip makeover, and invest in audio and video equipment? Maybe. Maybe they learn to play the Theremin or a fire-belching saxophone, instead.

If someone does figure out how to make their music sound great in their space,  how do they get people to click on the video content? Maybe that requires a well-devised unity between their look and their sound? A little bit of narrative or story, an introduction or "get to know me" description. Or maybe they just need a gimmick, and another gimmick when that one gets old because all gimmicks get old - and yet gimmicks are spectacle, and spectacle works. 

After people click, how do the performers get them to stay? Do they take time between songs to chat with viewers, like an honored guest sitting with them around a virtual firepit or breaking bread (or pizza) on a Friday night? Because they are honored guests at this point, sometimes cast larger-than-life on television screens during dinner. Like in a Jane Austen adaptation, a musician may need to demonstrate the witty repartee of Mr. Knightly . . . but, Jane Austen was being ironic, so perhaps Dolly Parton is the better model? Or maybe it's just about character consistency or easy-to-identify archetypes these days, so no one has to take the time to figure things out.

If the viewers stay and continue watching, how do performers get a like or a share? Do they have to ask? If they figure out how to get a like or a share, how do they get that viewer to use the voluntary, virtual tip jar? Isn't it tacky to ask for money when you're an honored guest? Isn't it folly to ask your cousin or high school friends for money when you know they don't have any more than you do? So, how do you find and attract viewers who have the means to pay their troubadour, their honored guest? Should performances have themes? Should the set list demonstrate range and ability, an ability to perform in multiple genres? 

Questions without Answers

There are more questions than answers.

How many unpaid, online gigs is it going to take before these exceptionally talented musicians simply stop trying? They aren't producers, costumers, and set designers, and in order to learn how to use the latest and greatest apps, they're going to have to stop taking time to learn or create new material. Will they adapt? Some. Will they have the means to wait out the pandemic? Some. What will happen to the rest? Is this like the mythological first day of college when you're told to look to your right and to your left and assume both of those people won't be around in a few years? Maybe. We'll have to wait and see before we realize what we've lost.

Want to read more about dramaturgy and performance? Try

Production Dramaturgy: What's a Dramaturg Do?

Ancient Greek Theatre: Origins of the Term Deus Ex Machina

Medieval Era Morality Plays

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Narrative Essay: Our "Finally" Peas

The peas are beautiful, fruitful, and healthy.

This afternoon I spent time watering my garden: the red cabbage seedlings, the lettuce, and the new cabbage seeds, carefully saved from last year’s cabbages. I carefully planted them in compost from our carefully crafted compost pile, and the squirrels have since scattered them carelessly while seeking soft, safe places to hide their acorns and pecans. Not knowing where the cabbage seeds ended up after the squirrels’ bacchanalia, I carefully watered the whole area.

Peas Present

Nothing in the garden looks great in mid-October, generally, but while I watered, I noticed the marigolds and peas were still marvelously perky and vibrantly colorful.

I watered the peas, cuddled the cat, photographed the peas, and subsequently drew the peas and the cat. This afternoon’s weather was beautiful. The peas were too beautiful to ignore. They reminded me of peas past.

Peas Past

I remember two specific attempts to grow peas, or more accurately my attempts to grow peas and my father's attempts, I suspect, to connect with me in some way. It was easy for him to connect with my sister because she liked sports, and it was fairly easy to connect with my stepbrother, his stepson, because he lived there with him. Dad really had to try with me, though. I was the reader, the artist, the animal lover, the quiet type.

The first time we tried to grow peas we used a plastic flower box and maybe some dirt from the yard, topsoil and clay. He got some seeds and we followed the directions on the packet for spacing and depth. We watered them, I am sure. Dad took us back to our mother's for two weeks, and he was in charge of the peas. When we came back the soil was gray, so dry it was cracked like a broken ceramic pot. There were no peas.

We tried again. “Peas are easy to grow,” maintains Lee Taylor and the home gardening experts at Michigan State University’s Extension Service. The second time we tried he cut a 50-gallon blue plastic barrel in half long ways, and we filled it with soil and planted our peas. We did not, as Lee Taylor and the home gardening experts at Michigan State University’s Extension Service recommend, use compost, add stakes, plant in cool weather, or add an inch of water a week. Again, two weeks or every-other-weekend later, the soil was bone dry and all the potential life in the seeds had dried up, as well.

We didn't try again, but I did bring him dwarf Japanese Maple seedlings from my yard the year before he died, and they, too, dried up. I found the carcasses on the picnic table on the patio still in the plastic pots that had only ever been meant for transport.

Realization

Jane Shellenberger, author of Organic Gardener's Companion: Growing Vegetables in the West, states “There are many paths leading to a garden and many experiences awaiting those who venture in. No matter what your motive—whether to grow healthy, delicious food; spend time outdoors feeling more alive than your desk job allows; help save the planet; find relaxation, solace, or healing; meet your neighbors; get your hands in the sweet earth; or discover for yourself just how abundant and generous nature can be—a garden rarely disappoints. It’s a magnet for life in all its quirky, beautiful forms.” Whatever our pea-planting purpose may have been, I did stop to think about my dad today and appreciate his efforts, efforts I have not stopped to appreciate before.

I haven't been able to talk to him in over a year except distantly, through tertiary conversation with my stepmother (whose tomatoes flourished magically this year, by the way). We haven't laughed about something the cats have done or reminisced about funny little things like peas so dried up the soil cracked open. I haven't been able to bring him new plants in pots meant only for transport. He hasn't been able to marvel at our long growing season down here or tell me how excited he is to go hunting up there. Maybe, though, he's  had something to do with the peas this year, these beautiful, fruitful, healthy, peas; our “finally” peas.

Want to read more narrative essays? Try

A Narrative Essay: Holding Hands

Pig: A Sample Narrative Essay

The Narrative Frame: Prewriting the Narrative Essay

Works Cited

Shellenberger, Jane. Organic Gardener's Companion: Growing Vegetables in the West. Fulcrum Publishing, 2012.

Taylor, Lee. “How to grow peas.” Smart Gardening, April 29, 2009, camr.msu.edu.

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Make a Jar of Dill Pickles

As hobby gardeners, we don't often grow or harvest enough fruits and vegetables to store excess long term. Fruits like strawberries and blueberries are frozen to be used within a month or two, and vegetables like snow peas, peppers, green onions, okra, cucumbers, asparagus, tomatoes, and squash are eaten in season, within a week or two - or gifted to family and friends.  

On those rare occasions when we have a few more veggies than we can eat in salads or stir fries, I make quick pickles, often just one jar at a time. 

I most often pickle cucumbers, but we also enjoy pickled okra and pickled asparagus. This same ratio of salt, vinegar, and water can be used to make brine for any of those vegetables.

Ingredients for a Quart Jar of Pickles

• 1/4 C pickling salt
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 6 cloves garlic
• 6 sprigs dill

Quick Pickle-Making Supplies

Jar Lifters and Measuring Bowl

• 4 cup or larger glass measuring bowl with pour spout
• 1/4 cup measuring cup
• 1 quart jar and lid with ring
• Tall kettle (taller than your quart jar)
• Hot pads and oven mitts
• Knife

Optional Supplies

• Cutting board
• Canning jar lifter
• Tongs
• A second jar for excess brine or pickles

How to Make a Jar (or Two) of Pickles

Prepare, Pack, and Process

1. Sanitize your jars and lids. I boil mine in the same 12 quart kettle I'll use to process the pickles. Once they boil for 3 minutes, I remove them with my jar lifter and tongs, and I leave the hot water in the kettle on the stove.

Pack pickles and add brine, leaving 1/2" space.

2. While the jars are boiling, prepare the cucumbers, dill, and garlic by rinsing, trimming the ends, and removing the skin of the garlic.

3. Next, prepare the brine: I add 1/4 cup pickling salt, 2 cups water, and 1 cup white vinegar to the 4 cup measuring bowl. I also add my garlic and dill to the brine. I boil the brine for 5 minutes and return it to the measuring cup. The brine can also be boiled in the microwave.

4. Once the jars are ready, pack the pickles into the jar(s), leaving 1/2 - 1 inch of space at the top. Because I always have a little extra brine, I can sometimes make a jar of sliced pickles or baby dills, too!  I add 4 sprigs of the boiled dill and 4 garlic cloves to the large jar, and I add 2 each to the small jar. 

5. Once the jars are full, loosely add the lids and rings.  

Loosen lids and boil for 10 - 15 minutes.

6. Place the jar(s) right-side up  into the tall kettle and add more water as necessary. Bring to a boil and process 10 - 15 minutes. 

7. Remove the jars using the jar lifter (or hot pads), let them cool, and seal them tightly. 

Remember that these instructions are not for pickles that will be stored long-term, so there's no sealing wax or rubber rings used. These are to be used within a month or two.

Additionally, always follow all food safety and supply-specific instructions and recommendations for a healthy, happy, pickle-making experience.

Want to read more recipes and how-to's? Try

Small Batch Microwave Peanut Brittle

Mizeria: A Dairy-free Cucumber Salad

Cheesy Kale Salad with Blueberries and Almonds

Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Three Ways to "Un-Altoids" a Tin: Hammering, Decoupage, and Polymer Clay

Altered Altoids Tins

Removing "Altoids" from an Altoids Tin

When altering an Altoids tin, makers generally begin by thinking about the inside, what the tin will hold, or its new purpose. Once its purpose is determined, however, the maker should also consider the outside of the tin; specifically, how the outside will give hints about that purpose or have some meaningful connection to its inside. Because the inside assuredly will no longer hold Altoids mints, most makers do not want to see "Altoids" on the lid or ingredients and nutritional information on the bottom unless it's part of a meaningful artistic juxtaposition, a clever camouflage, or when the inside is meant to be hidden or a surprise.

Remove the paint easily with flame and steel wool.

Removing the Exterior Paint and Labeling

The first step in removing "Altoids" is to remove the paint and labeling. For each of these examples, I removed the paint by setting the tins in hot coals in the fire pit for about 20 minutes, removing them with tongs, letting them cool, and scrubbing them with steel wool.

Polymer Clay, Hand-Hammering, and Decoupage Covered Tins

Covering a Tin with Polymer Clay

If a maker has polymer clay on hand, covering the tin is fairly simple and makes little to no mess. The polymer clay is rolled to 1/8" thickness and rolled onto the lid and its edges. This thickness completely hides the embossed "Altoids" lid.

Excess polymer clay can be cut away with a razor-blade before hardening in the oven, and it can be sanded after hardening and cooling. Some polymer clays will take paint or stain.

Additionally, as long as the maker carefully trims around the hinges, the tin will still open and close when the process is completed. The tin in the image will be used for seed storage, as the lid now clearly indicates, so it's important that it opens.

Hand-Hammered Altoids Tin

Another straightforward method for removing the embossed "Altoids" name from the lid of the tin is for the maker to hammer it out using a ball peen hammer. Either a 4 oz or an 8 oz hammer will do, as long as the peen is well-rounded. A peen with an edge or point will work, but it's much more difficult to make sure the tin isn't damaged.

The maker should remove the lid of the tin, and place newspaper or rags underneath it before hammering. Working on the center, first, then working to the edges will create a rounded lid. It takes several strikes to hammer out the lid, but occasionally placing the lid back onto the tin will ensure it doesn't get hammered out of shape. 

The tin in the image was painted with a metallic copper paint and lightly distressed after hammering. "Altoids" is still slightly visible, but the obviously distressed aesthetic allows for it. 

Decoupage Altoids Tin

Lastly, Altoids tins can be covered using decoupage. This is by far the messiest option and requires more supplies than either the polymer clay or hand-hammering methods. This method also requires an artistic eye. 

When done well, decoupage covers the lid entirely and helps establish a mood or style for whatever appears on the inside of the tin. Paper, cloth, leaves, and other thin ephemera make excellent coverings. 

In this case, a glossy dimensional resin was used over black cotton cloth and household findings. The tin will be used as a antiqued, small memorial shrine, so the items are quite personalized.

Using polymer clay, hand-hammering, or using decoupage techniques are all methods for hiding or removing the Altoids label from the lid of a tin before reusing. Each method has its pros and cons, from level of mess to level of coverage, but each also allows for the tin to become a very personal expression. Each method allows for the creation of a meaningful aesthetic.

Want to read more about Arts and Crafts? Try

Punch Needle Embroidery Supplies for Beginners
Point of View and Emotion
Crochet Christmas Tree Ornaments



Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.

Identifying the Rhetorical Situation and Rhetorical Appeals

After Lysippos  from the Ludovisi Collection
Jastrow 2006 / Public domain

If you're currently in a composition or rhetoric course, you may be learning about the rhetorical situation or rhetorical appeals first identified and explained by Aristotle. 

There are five elements of the rhetorical situation, according to Aristotle: pathos, logos, ethos, telos, and kairos. All together, these relate to the audience's characteristics and sensibilities, the logic and structure of the work, the credibility of the author and content, the purpose or mode of the work, and the time and place of its presentation.

Writers use these elements in their attempts to convince or persuade readers to do something or believe something. These elements are like tools in a carpenter's toolbox: Just like a carpenter uses a hammer to drive in a nail, a writer might use one or more of the five elements to make a convincing argument.

Kairos and Telos

Although the elements of kairos and telos are not often taught by name, they are still used today. For example, the writer may wait for the opportune moment (kairos), time and place, to write a particular essay or make a particular argument  based on what's happening in the world. The writer may use a particular mode - narrative, descriptive, persuasive, or expository -  to present their main ideas in the most convincing way for a particular audience (telos).

Appeals to Ethos, Pathos, and  Logos

A writer might also use one of the three appeals most commonly taught today: ethos, logos, or pathos. The writer may emphasize their own credibility or the credibility of those from whom they borrow content (ethos).  The writer may persuade by providing facts and statistics, logic and reason, in an effective structural format, thereby appealing to the readers' sense of logic (logos). Lastly, the writer might convince the readers by telling a story that elicits a particular emotion in that particular intended audience, thereby appealing to their emotions (pathos).

Pathos

When writers purposefully appeal to readers' emotions or sensibilities, we call it an appeal to pathos. The effectiveness of the appeal is partially determined by the characteristics of the intended audience.

Here are some examples of the use of pathos. Notice that the different examples are specifically meant to elicit specific emotions in a particular type of person. Think about whether or not these particular appeals to pathos would work on you or someone very like you, your friends, or specific members of your family.

• Eagerness: Buying this red Corvette will make you the most popular and enviable man on the road.
• Fear: Clean up the riverbank this Saturday or risk losing access to it forever. 
• Pity: The homeless need your donations, and if you don't help, no one will. 
• Guilt: Your grandparents won't be around much longer, so you better come home to visit this summer.
• Relief: With this widget, you'll never forget a deadline.

Also notice that pathos is generally not found in academic or scholarly writing. With the exception of the use of description or narration in lead-ins or conclusions of essays, the use of pathos is generally frowned upon. On the other hand, appeals to logos and ethos are encouraged.

Logos and  Ethos

Logos

When writers use sound logic and reason, verifiable facts and ethically-gathered statistics to prove a point, they are well on their way to appealing to logos. However, writers must also clarify their content by using enough of the best kind of evidence, and they must apply the principles of unity and coherence to their writing. Only when a writer has checked their work for clear thesis statements and topic sentences and an effective order and flow have they truly appealed to readers' sense of logic.

Ethos

When writers emphasize their own credibility, or the credibility of the source content they incorporate into their writing, they are appealing to ethos. They might use personal observation or testimony to try to prove a point. They may incorporate facts and statistics from reputable sources.

Take a look at the following examples of appeals to logos and ethos.

• Ethos: As someone who's been a hairdresser for over 30 years, I can tell you that the classic French bob is always in style. 
• Ethos and Logos: As someone who's been a hairdresser for over 30 years, I can tell you that the classic French bob is always in style. Seventy percent of the cuts requested by clients are the classic French bob or a very similar style. 
• Logos: "Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers."
• Ethos and Logos: According to a fact sheet published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2018, "Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day. On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers."
• Logos: The lack of consistent forensic evidence leads us to believe the defendant did not commit the crime.
• Logos and Ethos: The lack of consistent forensic evidence presented by the coroner, the forensic expert, and the police chief leads us to believe the defendant did not commit the crime.

The difference between the use of logos and the use of both ethos and logos is that the use of ethos includes a bit of bragging about the writer's or source's credibility or authority. 

Whether you're a writer looking to use the rhetorical situation to effectively communicate with an  audience, or you are looking to better identify the use of rhetoric by others, gaining an understanding of kairos, telos, ethos, logos, and pathos will be of benefit.

Want to read more about Writing and Argumentation? Try

Syllogisms as Structure
What's a Research Narrative?
Adding Coherence to an Essay

Works Cited

Smoking and Tobacco Use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018,  https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm. Accessed February 18, 2020.


Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.